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WeChat is World’s Strongest Tech Brand

Published

5 years ago

January 26, 2021

Reading Time: 6 minutes

As the pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the global economy, tech brands have recorded mixed fortunes this year. The top 100 most valuable tech brands in the Brand Finance Tech 100 2021 ranking have grown by 9% on average, faring much better than other sectors globally.

The Brand Finance Tech 100 2021 ranking is split into sub sectors, with electronics, retail, semiconductors, software, media & games, travel sites analysed separately as these brands make up more than 80% of the total brand value in the ranking. All brand values are correct as at 1st January 2021.

Electronics: Apple bites back

Apple has overtaken Amazon and Google to reclaim the title of the world’s most valuable tech brand, according to the latest report by Brand Finance – the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy. Apple has the success of its diversification strategy to thank for an impressive 87% brand value increase to US$263.4 billion and its position at the top of the ranking. For the fist time since 2016, Apple has also been crowned the world’s most valuable brand, according to the Brand Finance Global 500 2021 ranking.

Under Tim Cook’s leadership, especially over the past five years, Apple began to focus on developing its growth strategies above and beyond the iPhone – which in 2020 accounted for half of sales versus two-thirds in 2015. The diversification policy has seen the brand expand into digital and subscription services, including the App Store, iCloud, Apple Podcasts, Apple Music, Apple TV, and Apple Arcade. On New Year’s Day alone, App Store customers spent US$540 million on digital goods and services.

Apple’s transformation and ability to reinvent itself time and time again is setting it apart from other hardware makers and has contributed to the brand becoming the first US company to reach a US$2 trillion market cap in August 2020. With rumours resurfacing that Apple’s hotly anticipated Titan electric vehicle foray is underway again, it seems that there is no limit to what the brand can turn its hand to.

Lorenzo Coruzzi, Associate, Brand Finance commented:

“Apple has successfully reinvented its capabilities, while remaining faithful to its core: enriching people’s life through innovative design. Under Tim Cook’s leadership, it has been successfully diversifying its revenue mix shifting towards more profitable segments – showcasing that it is truly resilient against its competitors.”

Retail: Alibaba.com up 108%

Despite relinquishing its position at the top to Apple, second-ranked Amazon has still managed to record a healthy 15% brand value growth to US$254.2 billion and is the second most valuable tech brand. The retail giant is one of the few brands that benefitted considerably from the pandemic and the resulting unprecedented surge in demand as consumers turned online following store closures. Over Q2 and Q3 of 2020, e-commerce platforms experienced the highest revenue growth since 2016.

Most recently – further leveraging the circumstances of the pandemic – Amazon has acquired 11 passenger planes from struggling North American airlines to expand its air logistics capabilities. A tactical purchase to support its fast-growing customer base, but also a strategic move towards building its own end-to-end supply chain, the fleet can allow the brand to become a serious contender in air transportation in due time.

Another example of Amazon’s relentless innovation in the face of global adversity, the brand has also announced its foray into the health sector with the launch of Amazon Pharmacy and fitness tracker Halo. Before it brought success to Apple, daring diversification had already been the hallmark of Amazon’s growth strategy, which it continues to pursue with impressive results.

Amazon’s Chinese equivalent, Alibaba.com has also benefitted from the unprecedented surge in demand, as consumers in China turned to online shopping during the pandemic. The retail giant’s brand value has been boosted by an eyewatering 108% to US$39.2 billion, making it the fastest growing brand in the ranking. Alibaba subsidiaries, Taobao, up 44% to US$53.3 billion, and Tmall, up 60% to US$49.2 billion, have enjoyed parallel successes, their online business models providing ease of access and convenience for consumers.

Semiconductors: Nvidia acquisition of Arm pays off

As artificial intelligence, data centres, 5G technology, IoT, and autonomous vehicles are rapidly growing, semiconductor brands are perfectly positioned to match this growth as this demand requires a new era of sensors, memory, and chips. On average, semiconductor brands have grown 16%, of these Nvidia is the fastest growing, up 73% to US$8.1 billion.

Nvidia’s announcement of the US$40 billion deal to acquire Arm – British chip designer company – has caused quite a stir across the industry as Nvidia sets its sights on becoming the top player for the next generation of processing and AI.

The most valuable semiconductor brand by a significant margin, Intel, has increased its brand value by 16% this year to US$31.8 billion. From its next-generation chips being set back due to delays in sales of its current-generation chips, to Apple making the move to make its own computer chips, Intel has negotiated a turbulent year. Perhaps in a move to remain relevant, Intel has undergone a rebranding, introduced as part of the brand’s effort to be more aspirational and reflect the goals ahead.

Lorenzo Coruzzi, Associate, Brand Finance commented:

“Intel has been the largest chipmaker for most of the past 30 years, combining the best designs with cutting-edge factories. While the decision to outsource chip manufacturing has not yet officially been taken, long delays in production and design have been hindering the brand in recent years, placing it in a tricky position against competitor TMSC and other players. Outsourcing would mean giving up Intel’s historical competitive advantage and might have deep geopolitical consequences in the years ahead. With the arrival of the new CEO, Pat Gelsinger, in February it will soon be clearer the direction the company begins to take.”

Software: WFH boosts brands

Video conferencing and business communication software has taken centre stage as the working from home revolution takes hold globally. Salesforce’s (brand value up 29% to US$ 13.2 billion) acquisition of Slack is a clear signal that the brand wants to become more competitive in the space, especially against leader Microsoft (up 20% to US$140.4 billion). It will remain to be seen whether this platform integration will be effective and deliver the expected value.

Google is the most valuable software brand and sits in the third in the complete tech ranking, following a marginal 1% uplift in brand value to US$191.2 billion. Slightly behind its peers in terms of diversification, Google recorded its first ever revenue decline as a result of the pandemic. The vast majority of the brand’s revenue comes from advertising, which took a hit over the last year as marketing budgets tightened.

Media & Games: WeChat is sector’s & world’s strongest

Brand Finance determines the relative strength of brands through a balanced scorecard of metrics evaluating marketing investment, stakeholder equity, and business performance. According to these criteria, WeChat is the strongest tech brand – and the world’s strongest brand – with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 95.4 out of 100 and a corresponding elite AAA+ brand strength rating.

Alongside revenue forecasts, brand strength is a crucial driver of brand value. As WeChat’s brand strength grew, its brand value also enjoyed a rapid boost, increasing by 25% to US$67.9 billion.

As one of China’s home-grown tech successes with very strong equity, WeChat enjoyed high scores in reputation and consideration among Chinese consumers. WeChat has successfully implemented a broad and all-encompassing proposition, that offers services from messaging and banking, to taxi services and online shopping – the all-in-one app has become essential to many users’ daily lives.

During the pandemic, WeChat ran several government-mandated health code apps to keep track of those travelling or in quarantine, providing access to real-time data on COVID-19, online consultations, and self-diagnoses services powered by artificial intelligence to over 300 million users.

The media landscape continues to evolve with traditional media outlets falling victim to their modern counterparts. In line with positive trends in brand value in the new media sector, Spotify has climbed 15 spots in the ranking from 80^th to 65^th, enjoying an impressive 39% boost in brand value to US$5.6 billion. The last year has seen a significant increase in new users as the music streaming platform expanded its operations into 13 new markets. Spotify is primed for further success as it continues to develop its capabilities, signing exclusive podcast contracts with Archie Comics and Joe Rogan, and acquiring Megaphone from Graham Holdings to improve its own podcast technology.

In contrast, Twitter has recorded a 18% brand value drop to US$3.1 billion. The social media platform’s actions have come under intense scrutiny as the handling of former President Trump’s account has sparked raucous debate, surrounding freedom of speech versus Trump’s use of the platform to incite violence, and spread false claims.

Lorenzo Coruzzi, Associate, Brand Finance commented:

“Podcasts are one of the key reasons why consumers move to premium subscription on music streaming services. The global podcast market size was expected to reach US$11.1 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow by nearly 30% by 2027. With these predictions, and competitors already demonstrating their intent in the market, it won’t be easy for Spotify to retain the crown of music streaming brand”.

Travel sites: victims of COVID-19

As holidays are cancelled and people are instructed to work from home, the hospitality sector has reached an almost complete standstill both from tourism, as well as corporate travel. Online booking platforms are crashing too. Booking.com has recorded a 19% brand value loss to US$8.3 billion, simultaneously dropping 10 positions in the ranking from 32^nd to 42^nd. The story is similar for Airbnb as 30% of its brand value eroded to US$3.4 billion.

Expedia has dropped out of the ranking this year, following a 25% brand value decrease.

Canada

RESPWNED partners with LOTUS 8 to bring GIRLGAMER festival to Winnipeg in 2026

Published

46 minutes ago

May 6, 2026

Wladimir P.

respwned-partners-with-lotus-8-to-bring-girlgamer-festival-to-winnipeg-in-2026

RESPWNED and LOTUS 8 have signed a partnership to launch the GIRLGAMER Winnipeg Festival in 2026, marking the GIRLGAMER Esports Festival brand’s expansion into Canada.

RESPWNED manages the GIRLGAMER Esports Festival brand, while LOTUS 8 is a Canada-based company focused on event development and partnerships. The companies said they will jointly develop and deliver the Winnipeg event, combining global esports IP management, event production, commercial partnerships, and local execution.

“This partnership represents an exciting milestone for GIRLGAMER as we continue to expand globally and bring our platform to new audiences,” said Tiago Fernandes, Managing Partner at RESPWNED. “Canada is a dynamic and fast-growing Esports market, and we are proud to collaborate with LOTUS 8 to deliver a meaningful and impactful event experience.”

Steven Vuong, representing LOTUS 8, added: “We are thrilled to partner with RESPWNED to bring the GIRLGAMER Festival to Canada. This collaboration reflects a shared vision of building inclusive, high-quality esports experiences while creating strong commercial and community value. Together, we are laying the foundation for a standout event in 2026.”

The GIRLGAMER Winnipeg Festival is planned as a family-oriented event with business networking, brand activations, and community programming, and is expected to include international and local talent. Additional details, including dates, venue, and participating partners, will be announced in the coming months.

The post RESPWNED partners with LOTUS 8 to bring GIRLGAMER festival to Winnipeg in 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Boomerang Partners

Boomerang Partners’ case study: exploring the new rules of sports marketing

Published

46 minutes ago

May 6, 2026

Wladimir P.

boomerang-partners’-case-study:-exploring-the-new-rules-of-sports-marketing

Sports marketing used to be relatively straightforward. Major sports events – from international tournaments to league finals – meant big audiences, and visibility was often enough to drive results.

By 2026, that model is no longer enough. Competition for sports traffic has intensified, acquisition costs have increased, and audiences have become more selective in how they engage. Being present around major sports events is no longer a differentiator – everyone is there.

What matters now is not just how brands capture attention, but how they choose to work with it.

This shift is especially visible in affiliate-driven environments. As brands rethink how they engage sports audiences – and face tighter regulation and greater competition – affiliate strategies have to adapt just as quickly.

Performance is measured in real time, with teams competing under the same conditions and reacting to the same events.

This is where new formats and mechanics start to matter. Earlier this year, Boomerang Partners, a sports-focused affiliate program, brought together affiliate teams as part of the TIME TO WIN affiliate tournament.

The insights in this article come from real partner activity – from day-to-day campaign work to what teams tested during the TIME TO WIN tournament.

It’s no longer campaign-driven

The way sports marketing works is no longer built around campaigns. It’s built around behavior. What used to be planned weeks in advance now shifts during the event itself. Timing changes. Messaging changes. Sometimes, even the format changes.

The shift is simple: marketing is no longer planned around events – it adapts to them continuously, with messaging, concepts, and storytelling evolving from one moment to the next. These shifts don’t just affect how brands work with players – they also reshape how affiliate partners operate. As a result, partners have to adapt their strategies, formats, and approaches to engagement.

Personalization plays a big role here. Not as a feature, but as a baseline. Generic offers don’t hold attention anymore. If it’s not relevant to what the user is watching or reacting to, it gets ignored.

This is also changing how sponsorships work. Visibility still matters, but it’s no longer enough on its own. Brands are moving into formats that go beyond the match – content, integrations, and ongoing digital touchpoints.

At the same time, the space has expanded. Sports, esports, streaming – they now compete for the same attention, alongside a much broader set of content and digital experiences.

That makes timing harder. Big tournaments still drive peaks, but the build-up and the drop-off matter just as much. Planning around these moments is becoming more data-driven. Earlier this year, Boomerang Partners introduced its Sports Marketing and Betting Calendar 2026, built to map those patterns and help affiliates align campaigns with key moments and make more informed decisions around their strategy. In practice, partners use it to plan ahead for major events, streamline research, and structure content around both high-demand and niche sports.

From watching to reacting

Audience behavior has changed faster than most strategies – and it becomes especially visible in live, competitive environments.

During the TIME TO WIN tournament, this shift was hard to miss. Affiliate teams worked with sports traffic in real time, around live events, where attention moved constantly, and decisions were made on the spot.

Watching sport is no longer passive. During major matches, users follow the game while checking odds, reacting to moments, and switching between platforms. The second screen is no longer secondary – it’s part of the experience.

In practice, this meant that teams competing in the tournament had to adapt quickly – reacting to live moments, adjusting content, and aligning campaigns with audience behavior in real time.

That changes how campaigns are built. Timing matters more. Missing the moment often means losing the user.

Content is changing as well – and fast. Short-form formats capture a growing share of attention, especially among younger audiences. The full match is no longer the only point of engagement.

Behavior is becoming more social. Communities form around events – not just around teams, but around the experience itself.

Olesea Naidion, Brand Manager at Nightrush, TIME TO WIN participant, noted:

“The biggest shift I’ve noticed is that audiences don’t just ‘watch’ sports anymore – they’re actively participating. During major matches, people react to every moment – every corner, every substitution, every momentum shift.

The second-screen behavior is fascinating. Fans have their phones out the entire time – checking odds, chatting, and reacting on social media while the match is happening.

The traditional ‘sit back and watch’ experience is no longer how a large part of the audience engages with sport.”

What actually matters now

Not all traffic is equal anymore. Volume still matters, but it no longer defines success. What matters is what happens after the click – how fast users convert, how long they stay, and whether they come back.

This shift was clearly visible during the TIME TO WIN tournament. When campaigns ran around real-time events, performance was measured differently. There was no long funnel – the decision happened immediately, or not at all.

In practice, traffic and performance closely followed the sports calendar. Early peaks aligned with major tournaments, while quieter periods – such as international breaks – led to visible slowdowns. Consistent spikes on weekends also highlighted how closely user activity tracked live-event density.

Conversion has become time-sensitive. Delays cost results.

Retention matters more now. Acquiring users is more expensive, and users have more options. If they don’t see value quickly, they move on.

As a result, performance is evaluated differently. Impressions and reach are no longer enough to justify spending. What matters is whether activity turns into deposits, bets, and repeat engagement.

Olesea Naidion, Brand Manager at Nightrush, TIME TO WIN participant, commented:

“Engagement rate, conversion velocity, and customer lifetime value have become the most critical metrics. Impressions don’t pay the bills — action does.

We need to understand if content drives real behavior in real time, especially during live events when the conversion window is minutes, not days.”

What defines success

Sustaining results has become harder. Strong performance can still happen in short bursts. But without consistency, it doesn’t hold. The gap between short-term gains and long-term growth is becoming more visible.

What separates teams now is not access to traffic or events. It’s how that traffic is handled – how quickly it converts, how long it stays, and whether it returns.

That shifts the focus from individual campaigns to the full user journey. Acquisition, conversion, and retention are no longer separate – they have to work as a single system.

This is also reflected in how partners performed in the TIME TO WIN tournament. Even beyond the initial launch phase, participation continued to build, showing that sustained performance – not just early momentum – defines success.

When that connection breaks, performance drops just as quickly as it grows.

Anete Dunina, Head of Sales at Revpanda Group, TIME TO WIN participant, noted:

“Success in sports marketing will be defined by control over the full user journey. It’s about acquiring, converting, and retaining the right users, not just traffic.

Short-term wins don’t build long-term business.”

The shift is already visible across the market. It goes beyond marketing – reflecting broader changes in how sport is consumed, how brands operate, and how affiliate ecosystems evolve. Those who can adapt to it consistently will shape what sports marketing looks like next.

About Boomerang

Boomerang Partners is a rapidly growing global marketing agency offering a wide range of services. Boomerang Partners is an Official Regional Partner of AC Milan. In 2024, it launched the inaugural Golden Boomerang Awards – a global tournament for affiliate teams. More than 400 affiliate teams participated in the second season of the tournament in 2025. Partners of the Agency launched six new products in 2024-2025, contributing to a nearly 1.5-fold increase in product users.

The Agency’s clients’ portfolio contains 10+ brands offering affiliate and entertainment services across 40+ markets in compliance with local regulations. These products provide incentive programs and 24/7 multilingual support.

The post Boomerang Partners’ case study: exploring the new rules of sports marketing appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

BETANO

Kaizen Gaming wins three operator awards at SBC Awards Europe 2026

Published

46 minutes ago

May 6, 2026

Wladimir P.

kaizen-gaming-wins-three-operator-awards-at-sbc-awards-europe-2026

Kaizen Gaming has won three operator awards at the SBC Awards Europe 2026, held during SBC Summit Malta on Thursday, 30 April. The company, which owns the Betano online sports betting and gaming brand, picked up “Sportsbook Operator of the Year”, “Casino Operator of the Year” and “Operator Innovation in Gaming”.

Christos Tzalavras, Kaizen Gaming’s Chief Product Officer, said: “Customer experience has been the foundation for Betano’s international success over the years. We concentrate our efforts in optimising it and bringing in new innovations that advance our capabilities, differentiate us from the competition and make the Betano experience unique for our users. These awards represent that exact philosophy. Managing to stand out among fierce competition within the European igaming landscape is a great honour. We would like to thank the awards’ judges for the recognition and our people for making it possible. We are more driven than ever, and are working to ensure that we provide a top-tier experience for everyone who entrusts us with their entertainment, across every market where we operate.”

Earlier in 2026, Kaizen Gaming announced it had acquired UK-based, AI-driven sports trading and analytics provider GameplAI. The company said it will integrate GameplAI’s features to strengthen its in-house capabilities across sports trading, player markets and performance analytics for Betano.

Kaizen Gaming also highlighted Betano’s European sponsorship portfolio, including the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Conference League, plus club deals with FC Bayern München, Aston Villa FC, FC Porto, Sporting CP, SL Benfica, AC Sparta Praha, FCSB and Brøndby IF.

The post Kaizen Gaming wins three operator awards at SBC Awards Europe 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.